Saul

Saul was the first king of Israel. God and the people chose him, but he failed greatly due to his lack of confidence in himself and God. Saul was a complicated person. At times, we feel sorry for him because of his struggles. However, he often caused his own problems, bringing sadness and trouble to those close to him.

Saul was the son of a wealthy landowner. He became king without expecting or wanting to be one. The people wanted a king to lead them in battles, so they were pleased with Saul, who was taller than anyone else (1 Samuel 10:23). However, their military problems were overwhelming, and Saul lacked confidence as a military leader. Without the prophet Samuel and Saul’s son Jonathan, Saul’s reign might have ended in complete disaster.

Saul upset God by making quick promises without thinking during wartime (1 Samuel 14:16–46). He also performed sacrifices before battle instead of waiting for Samuel (1 Samuel 13:7b–14). He disobeyed God's command to destroy all the people and goods of the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:1–35). Because of this, God decided to remove Saul from being king. God sent Samuel to choose David as the new king by pouring sacred oil on his head. Soon, Saul became very suspicious of David, who was his son's best friend and his most loyal servant. Saul became a cruel ruler who refused to give up control no matter what. He spent much time and effort trying to catch and kill David.

Saul was injured in a battle against the Philistines and then killed himself with his sword. His death was the result of God's judgment. Even though David had spent much time running from Saul, he honored the first king and his son Jonathan with a sincere speech (2 Samuel 1:17–27).

Passages for Further Study

1 Samuel 9:1–11:15; 13:1–31:13; 2 Samuel 1:1–27; 1 Chronicles 9:35–10:14